Spike-machine



(No Model.)

No. 9,866. PatentedJuly 19, 1853.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

P. P. TRAYSBR. SPIKE MACHINE.

No. 9.866 Patented July 19, 1853.

nunms PETERS co PHoYmL'n'Hu, wn'sulunrou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP P. TRAYSER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SPIKE-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,866, dated July 19, 1853.

I To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP P. TRAYsER, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of Manufacturing VVroughtlron or other Metal Spikes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a spike machine having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 represents a plan of so much of the same as is sutficient to illustrate my present improvements, which relate to the cutting and bending of the rod, preparatory to heading; Figs. 3 and 4 represent vertical longitudinal sections of the machine, illustrative of the operation of the heading and pointing devices.

The machine represented in the accompanying drawings is similar in its general construct-ion to that already described in my former patent bearing date the fourteenth day of December, 1852, and therefore in this description only such brief reference will be made to the general mechanism as is necessary to explain its connection with the method of cutting a length off the heated bar suitable for one spike, shaping the same properly and at the same time bending the end of the bar to prepare it for the formation of the head of the next length to be cut ofi for another spike.

In the accompanying drawings A denotes the frame of the machine; B the cam-shaft which originates and determines the rela tive time and duration of the several movements of the machine; C, is the stationary portion of the gripping and shaping die; D, is the movable portion of the gripping die and carries with it the knife which severs the rod, and a stump or projection (61.) which aids in bending the rod, in a manner to be presently described.

G, is the notch or groove in the end of the frame through which the rod is passed to the dies; it is made wider in this, than in my former machine to permit the manipulation of the rod as hereafter described.

H is the pointing die, and I is the lever which operates it.

J, is the rockshaft which forms the fulcrum of the lever (I), K is the toggle levers by which the sliding die (D) is worked, and

L is the lever by which the toggle levers (K) are actuated, by motion derived from the cam shaft (B) which carries sundry cams suitably formed and arranged to give the several motions required.

The cam (h) on the outer end of the cam shaft, forces the front extremity of the lever (0) toward the side of the frame (A), and holds it there during a short interval, after which it releases the lever and permits the spring (d) to throw its front extremity outward again to the position whence it was moved by the cam. The front extremity of the lever (c), is connected with a bar (e) which slides in a groove made in the upper part of the stationary die block (C) whose inner end is protruded into the groove in the position shown in Fig. 2, so as to form the stake or rest over which the end of the rod is bent preparatory to the formation of a hooked head for a spike. The point at which the rod (6) protrudes into the groove (G) is halfway, or thereabout, between the knife (E) and the stump or projection (a).

The dotted lines (0) in Fig. 2 show the position of the heated rod when fed into the open dies and the bent rod (7) in the same figure, shows the position of the rod after being properly bent by the closing of the dies and the advancement of the stumps (a) and (e) and the knife (E) into the proper position to bend it as shown.

When the knife has been advanced far enough by the act of closing the die (D) to sever the rod (9) the cam (h) then acts upon the lever (c) which pushes the stake or stump (6) forward, so that the bending of the rod is in this case effected by the movement of the stump (e) in one direction, simultaneously with the movement of the stump (a) and knife in the opposite direction, the two latter bending the two ends of the rod over the stump (e) as represented. The rod (1") when thus bent by the action of the parts as described will have a tendency at its outer or long end to assume a long and gradual bow as represented by the blue lines (t) which tendency will increase as the iron becomes cool and stiff, and will be diminished when the metal is very hot and plastic. As this long curvature in the rod would render it exceedingly inconvenient to feed it, and would vary the angle of inclination of the bent end with respect to the heading punch, it would cause an irregularity in the form of'the heads, and would be otherwise objectionable, it is therefore necessary to have the rod straightened; this is readily effected by the attendant of the machine swaging the outer end of the rod, back in the opposite direction to that in which it tends to curve, which will have the effect of counteracting the tendency of the rod to bend. It will be necessary for the attendant to sway the rod around more as it becomes cooler and stiffen By this means a uniform bend will be given to the end of the rod, and thereby uniformity in the form and size of the heads of the spikes will be insured.

A dexterous workman might dispense with the sliding of the bar (a) and allow it to be fixed in the position seen in Fig. 2 by passing a key (5) through a slot in it and the frame, or otherwise fixing it, or a pin might be inserted as shown by the red circle in the bottom of the groove which would occupy the same position and perform the same function as the inner end of the bar (0) which forms the stump. The stump (c) and the stump (a) and the back of the knife should all be made adjustable, if different sizes or shapes of spikes are to .be

made in order to adapt them to give the same bend to rods of different sizes, and to give more or less bend to rods of the same size. By bending the end of the rod preparatory to inserting it in the dies and cut-ting it off, it is ready the instant it is gripped by the dies to be headed, and when headed is complete, and ready to be discharged, as the act of gripping severs the blank from the rod and points it. By this mode of operation, the hot blank is held in the dies an amount of time less than in any machine heretofore constructed, by the length of time it takes to bend the rod preparatory to heading. This is a point of great importance, as it increases very materially the durability of the dies, which are destroyed mainly by the alternate expansion by the heat of the blank, and contraction by cooling while the dies are open to discharge one spike and receive the blank for another. The rapidity of this destruction is in proportion to the intensity of the heat to which the dies are raised, and this all other circumstances being equal, is proportionate to the length of time the red hot blank is held within them, therefore it is plain that the dies of my machine will never become so hot as those of Buidens and that class of machines which both bend and shape the head of the spike while gripped in the dies, and will consequently last much longer without repairs or renewal. Moreover, the

bending of the end of the rod for the head of one blank while another blank is in the dies being headed and pointed, efiects a saving of time in the operation of making the spike equal to that consumed in other machines, by bending preparatory to forming a head after the blank is gripped in the jaws. This saving of time in the operation prevents the rod fro-1n cooling as much as it otherwise would before it gets worked up, and therefore there is less reheating and less injury done to the dies from working metal too cold and hard. These are the results in practice and because of these important advantages which my method or process of forming the head at two distinct operations one out and the other in the die, as contradistinguished from the formation of the head, by performing both operations in the die, that I claim a patent for this feature of my machine.

It is obvious that one or both of my improvements may be used to advantage in machines of different forms already in use, and that new machines greatly varied in the form, arrangement and mode of operation of their parts, may be employed as a means of applying my improvements; and my improvements themselves are susceptible of modification to a very great extent, without the least departure from the principles upon which they are based.

that I claim as my invent-ion and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The combination with the knife which severs the blank from the rod, of two stumps either or both moving, whereby while one blank is being headed and pointed in the dies the end of the rod for the next blank is cut off and bent preparatory to forming a :head, substantially as described.

2. I also claim the method of heading ispikes by bending the end of the rod preparatory to upsetting before placing it 1n contact with the heading dies, instead of giving it the preparatory bending while in contact with the dies, whereby the heated rod is kept a shorter time in contact with the dies, and therefore heats them less, while at the same time, it is not detained longer than usual out of the dies, so that by this method .the dies are better protected from excessive heating, the rod from cooling, and the whole operation expedited and improved, substantially as herein set forth. In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name. PHILIP P. TRAYSER. l Witnesses:

THOMAS C. JENKINS, WVILLIAM S. GoRToN. 

